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Two weeks out from release, a Kannada film should be riding a clean promo wave. Karavali isn’t.
The Karavali Prajwal Devaraj Raj B Shetty controversy blew up at the film’s own Bengaluru event, when a group of Prajwal Devaraj’s fans turned up to protest instead of cheer. Their claim? Their star has been quietly pushed to the back seat ever since Raj B Shetty came on board. The makers say that’s nonsense. Raj B Shetty says he’s not fighting anyone for space.
Here’s the full picture, both sides included, before Karavali hits screens on 24 July 2026.
What happened at the Karavali promotional event
The trouble started at the film’s promotional and trailer-launch event in Bengaluru. A section of Prajwal Devaraj’s fans showed up and staged a protest, accusing the makers of sidelining the actor after Raj B Shetty joined the project (Oneindia).
It didn’t stay quiet either. A member of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike reportedly got into a heated exchange with the protesting fans, and the whole thing disrupted the program (Pratidhvani).
So a launch meant to sell the movie ended up selling a fight instead. Classic.
Was Prajwal Devaraj really sidelined in Karavali?
This is the heart of it. The fans built their case on three things: Prajwal skipped the event, his voice was missing from the trailer, and his screen presence looked smaller once Raj B Shetty’s casting was known (Oneindia).
On the surface, that reads like a clear demotion. Dig a little, and it gets messier.
Some promotional posters actually put Prajwal’s name front and centre, while co-stars Raj B Shetty and Mitra were left off certain materials (Pratidhvani). That’s an odd way to sideline your lead.
Then there’s money. Prajwal was reportedly paid ₹1 crore of an agreed ₹1.25 crore fee, with ₹25 lakh still pending (Oneindia). A stuck payment can sour a working relationship fast, and it has nothing to do with screen time. Worth keeping that in mind before you pick a villain.
Raj B Shetty breaks his silence: “I’m not competing with anyone”
The Su From So actor didn’t dodge it. Raj B Shetty confirmed he plays a cameo, a character named Maveera, and framed his casting as a leftover offer, not a takeover.
“I knew Prajwal Devaraj was the lead in this film. Bigger actors than me were initially considered for this role, and I got the offer only after several others declined. This character was always part of the script. I am not competing with anyone.” — Raj B Shetty (Oneindia)
He also pushed back on the noise around the film. “Cinema is much bigger than me,” he said, adding that if Prajwal is genuinely angry, “people should sit with him and speak respectfully. Humanity is more important” (Oneindia).
Translation: settle it over a coffee, not a hashtag.
The makers’ response to the Karavali controversy
The team behind the film flatly denies pushing Prajwal aside. Director Gurudatha Ganiga said passes had been arranged for Prajwal’s fans, and that the actor himself had indicated he’d attend, right up to late in the day (Pratidhvani). He was invited. He didn’t come.
The missing-voice complaint got an explanation too. Ganiga acknowledged there were open questions about whether Prajwal’s voice suited the character, so dubbing calls were held back until after the trailer was finished (Pratidhvani). In other words, the silence in the trailer was a work-in-progress, not a snub.
Put the pieces together and the makers’ version is simple: Prajwal is still the lead, the trailer was unfinished, and the payment gap is a contract matter, not a creative one.
About Karavali: cast, plot and release date
Lost in the shouting is the actual movie. Karavali is an action-thriller rooted in coastal Karnataka culture, and the makers have pitched it as a technically ambitious regional story (Filmibeat).
Here’s the quick card:
- Release date: 24 July 2026 (Filmibeat)
- Director: Gurudatha Ganiga (also producer and co-writer)
- Lead cast: Prajwal Devaraj, Raj B Shetty (as Maveera), Sampada Hulivana
- Supporting cast: Mitra, Ramesh Indira, Sushmita Bhat, Sridhar KS, Govinde Gowda, Niranjan
- Music: Sachin Basrur
- Cinematography: Abhimanyu Sadanandan
Story credit goes to Chandrashekhar Bandiyappa, with the screenplay by Tejovrusha, Ravi Sriram and Ganiga. It’s backed by Gurudatha Ganiga Films, Suram Movies and VK Films (Filmibeat).
If Kannada action thrillers are your lane, this is one to watch regardless of the drama around it. And if you follow the wider south scene, our roundup of the highest-grossing South Indian movies of 2026 tells you exactly what Karavali is walking into at the box office.
Our take before July 24
Honestly? This smells more like a communication mess than a conspiracy. A stuck ₹25 lakh, an unfinished dubbing call, and a lead who skipped his own event add up to friction, not sabotage. Fan armies filled in the rest.
The good news for Karavali is that a pre-release row keeps a small Kannada film in the headlines it might never have reached otherwise. The bad news is that a protest at your trailer launch is a rough way to earn that attention.
Two weeks left. If Prajwal Devaraj shows up and stands next to Raj B Shetty on a stage, this evaporates overnight. If he doesn’t, the sidelining story writes itself no matter what the makers say.
For more Kannada and south drama as it breaks, keep an eye on our Industry Buzz coverage and tell us in the comments: genuine snub, or fan overreaction?
